Monday 1/26/16--and the Burned-Out Church

"Only a fool would say, 'There is no God!'  People like that are worthless; they are heartless and cruel and never do right."  Psalm 14:1

"I praise you, Lord, for being my guide.  Even in the darkest night, your teachings fill my mind.  I will always look to you, as you stand beside me and protect me from fear.  With all my heart, I will celebrate, and I can safely rest."  Psalm 16:7-9

What started out as 'just another trip' turned into a memorable one.  I didn't have any extra money to buy any food to take, so I loaded up the car with clothes and blankets and stuff and took off downtown.  I was a little concerned about not having any food to give out and kind of bemoaning the fact that I was going 'shorthanded', but if you have our Lord and His Kingdom with you, you've got everything covered.  Actually, in retrospect, no one asked me for any food or water.  On the way down there I was trying to decide whether to go look for people to help first or drive by the burn-out church first.  I ended up looking for people to help first.  After getting off at the Alameda exit I drove around to where John Stokes used to live.  I had been told by another homeless man last week (his name was Don), that a newly arrived woman by the name of Kia had started living right where John had lived.  I pulled up there next to a large make-shift shelter, but since I hadn't been introduced to her yet I didn't try and 'roust' her out of her shelter.  I drove on down the street to where Dave and Don were and stopped there.  Dave wasn't there initially, but came by a few minutes later.  Don called out to me as soon as he saw me.  I parked and got out of the car and opened up the back.  There were about 4 other homeless folks about 20 or 30 yards down the street.  He called them over.  One of them was Kia!  So I met her finally.  Well they all got clothes and blankets and even a few of the tarps that I had.  When I finished praying with Don and Crystal from that group, Crystal asked for special prayer for a friend of hers who had died two days ago.  This friend's name was Carrie.  So I prayed again, just with Crystal for her heart to be comforted by the Holy Spirit about her friend and so that she knows that others care too about her and her life situation.  I stayed with Dave and Don for a while longer before leaving.  I let them know it would probably be three weekends before I could return due to my work schedule.

Well, just about all the clothes had been picked through and I was now out of blankets.  It was time to drive over the the burned-out church.  When I got there it was about 11:30.  As I got closer I could see some new timbers up in the roof area and there were several men standing in front of the church. I thought, "Finally...some one's there and I can find out what's going on."  I parked across the street and asked one of the men if Pastor Magee was there.  He pointed him out to me and a few minutes later we met.  I told him I had called and spoken to his wife Mary and few months back and he did recall her telling him about me.  We talked about the progress being made with the church's rebuilding process.  At this point there seems to be one obstacle remaining with the city building commission about some handicap access and then the rebuilding program can begin.  It was a real joy to meet Pastor Magee and see how faithful God truly is in rebuilding this church to be a lighthouse of God's faithfulness to this neighborhood.  Pastor Magee told me that the architect of this building was a man by the name of John Austin who was the architect for several well know buildings in the Los Angeles area.  So not only is the church building an historical landmark due to it's age, but it's significance as one of Mr Austin's buildings enhances the historical value too.  I was able to walk into the building and see the inside first-hand and yes I did pray with Pastor Magee (you knew I wouldn't let that opportunity slip by now did you?).  We exchanged phone numbers and I hope to meet with him again soon.  What started out as an ordinary trip, ended up on the highest of notes!  Praise God.  Until next time.  John

Here are some photos I took this morning....you can see the new timbers on the roof. Pastor Magee is the one in the white T-shirt and pants on the corner.  FYI..I started praying specifically for this church and prayer-walking this neighborhood in September.  The fire was three years ago in October...              

Here's the work going on inside.....

You know, God's always working on the inside...

Unfortunately, I didn't take a selfie with Pastor Magee....maybe next time I will.

Until then....--John

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Sunday downtown 1/10/16

"Come out of sadness from wherever you've been
 Come broken-hearted, let rescue begin
 Come find your mercy, oh sinner come near
 Earth has no sorrow that heaven can't heal
 Earth has no sorrow that heaven can't heal....

 There's hope for the hopeless and all those who've strayed  
 Come sit at the table, come taste the grace
 There's rest for the weary, rest that endures
 Earth has no sorrow that heaven can't cure"
                                                                        Come as you are---David Crowder

This is the last weekend before my work schedule changes back to nights.  Sunday trips downtown will happen after I wake up in the afternoon starting next weekend.  This weekend will be very busy trying to get a lot of things done.  I had to fit this trip in a lot earlier in the day than I normally do and it was a little rough finding people initially.  I had made another big pot of pasta to take with me.  In fact, probably a lager amount than I have made in the past, so I was hoping to see a lot of people, but it certainly didn't start out that way.  I drove around for quite a while and started to get worried that the pasta wouldn't be hot enough anymore.  You can't just see someone on the street and pass some of it through the window, you have to stop and get out of the car and get the pot out of the back seat....needless to say, its a bit of a process.  My first attempt was on Trinity St, but no one was there. I drove around some more and ended up going to the parking lot at 9th and San  Pedro, but there were only a couple of people there at the time and they didn't seem too interested.  So I ended up going on down to 25th and San Pedro to my friends in that alley.  To keep other people out of their alley they put up a blockade of shopping carts at the entrance, but when they saw me, Pete moved them around so I could back in there.  It was still a tight fit, but I managed to back in there.

After getting in there, I was in the process of getting out of the car when Pete told me that Billy had died a few days ago.  I didn't get too many details about his death and I didn't ask much either. I have my ideas about what probably happened, but I don't know and it doesn't really matter how these things happen.  I will always remember my first couple of encounters with Billy.  It was only about October or so I think when I first met him in this alley.I didn't have much food left when I got to him. I handed out some bottles of water and held hands and prayed with him and Miguel that night. I'm sure it was the first time anyone had prayed with Billy in years, if ever.  I ended up finding a couple of cans of mixed veggies in the car and gave one to Billy and one to Miguel.  I kept seeing Billy in his make -shift shelter that night lighting something up.  I didn't need an explanation as to what he was doing.  But the next time I saw him he introduced me to his other friends there as his "best friend".  I was honored. The last time I saw him was just a couple of weeks ago.  I had again taken down a pot of pasta and while the people in the alley were going through the clothes in the back of my car I was dishing up food out of the side passenger door.  Billy had gone back and gotten a bowl from his shelter and wanted me to put his food in it.  His bowl was a "little" bigger than the ones I had (like maybe twice the size).  You know its in serving others that you learn a lot about the heart of God.  We try to understand things in a "one size fits all" mentality.  At first I didn't want to "fill up" his bowl because that would mean that he would get more than everyone else, or maybe there wouldn't be enough to go around because he got too much.  And sometimes you do have to put some limits on things....I get it, but God's grace is enough that even people who need a lot of forgiveness, get all they need.  He needed to know someone cared for him personally, I did.  I loved him just the way he was.  Over time I would have learned a lot more about his life journey and come to understand him a lot better.  We never know how much more time we have to get to know or say the things we want to say to others.  Billy was my age and his life brought him to the end on an alley in Los Angeles.  I'm sure it wasn't where he thought he'd end up or his parents thought he'd end up when he was a kid.  We all have hopes and dreams when we're growing up and as parents you have hopes and dreams for your kids when they grow up.  Yet here was where he ended up. When I thought about it later, the day he died was during the time we were having very heavy rains this last week.  The fear and the reality of many is they end their lives all alone.  Whether its a nursing home a hospital or even in your own home, we face the end far sooner than we usually anticipate.  I hope in the short amount of time I had with Billy that he experienced a glimpse of what the Kingdom of Heaven would be like enough to have desired it at the end.  I keep thinking of the account of Jesus' crucifixion and how one of the thieves crucified with him asked for a place in His kingdom in the end and Jesus granted him that desire.

Well, there weren't but three or four people in that alley Sunday who received some food, so I had to keep moving.  It was still early and people were a little hard to find.  I drove down an alley under the I-10 freeway by Central and 16th.  There were a couple of guys there who are usually on Trinity St, but had come here for shelter.  They called out to me as I drove by so I stopped. I've seen them before.  They were listening to the Packer-Redskin football game, so I hung-out with them for a little bit.  I told them that I had gone down Trinity earlier, but no one was there.  They told me Leticia and Antonio had just walked by a few minutes before.  So I saw them next.  I still had a lot of pasta left and went over to 8th St.  About 3 summers ago I used to see a couple there all the time.  There names were Elisha and Maurice.  They had left a long time ago and I figured they went to Texas, which is where she was from.  I've driven down this street many times since then, but they haven't been there for a long time.   Well, Sunday they were!  They were back and happy to see me.  They told me they thought of me often, probably just like I thought about them and how they were doing.  I not only stopped, but I got out my chair and had a bowl of pasta with them.  We ate and talked about what's gone on in the last couple of years.  It turned out that Maurice's mother had gotten sick and they went out to where she was.  She died a short time later and then a month later his father died too.  During this time they were able to find some temporary housing and Maurice even found some temporary work too.  But everything ran out and now they are back.  Elisha seems to be having some physical health problems that they need to see a doctor about.  I stayed with them for an hour or so and left a large amount of pasta with them for later that night.

I drove around and helped out a few more people ending up with Phillipe on Venice Ave near Los Angeles St.  Phillipe was the man who asked for a blanket back in November and I made a special trip back down there that night to get one to him (See the blog from last November titled "The blanket story") .  Sunday I almost didn't recognize him.  He had one of those small two wheel carts that you see women walking to a from a grocery store with.  He said someone stole his shopping cart with all his stuff in it.  Here again is where I learn the lesson of grace abounding with God. We are quick to make judgements about people and whether or not they "deserve" to receive more of our help when we've helped them in the past with the same issues.  Yet God continues to forgive us of our shortcomings and now it's time for us to forgive others of their shortcomings too.  Here he was with hardly anything!  Who was I to deny him the last blanket I had with me.  He also received the last of the pasta.  Serving is the path to learning.  Praise God.  --Until next time.  John


Here is a link to the song above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuX9oTGBCw8

I love that line....Earth has no sorrow that heaven can 't heal.


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Sunday afternoon-1/3/16

"You, O Lord are a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts up my head.  I cried to the Lord with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill.  I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustained me."  --Psalm 3:3-5

It was important to make a trip this week if for no other reason than to warn some of my friends of the rain due in here this coming week.  The first storms of the current El Nino season are due to hit here Tuesday and continue throughout the week.  So I loaded up several blankets and what clothes I had (mostly women's this week) and took off.  I bought food when I got down there and had water with me.  It ended up being a rather quiet trip.  The people at the parking lot at San Pedro and 9th have all moved on.  I ended up going to some places I haven't been to in a while around 14th and Essex. There were several 'encampments' in the area and in one of them a man was standing outside his tent area.  I asked him if he was hungry and he said yes.  When he saw the clothes and blankets he asked if he could have some and I parked and got out.  That triggered some activity from several others who were already in their tents.  It was only about 2:30-3 pm, but it was looking cloudy and like it was going to rain soon and most everyone was inside their make-shift shelters.

The man I first talked to was Vincent.  He had a girl friend in the tent who wouldn't come out he said, because she had some skin disease that was ravaging her body and face.  He said he was starting to get a rash across his chest too.  He was talking rather quietly and it was hard for me to hear exactly what he was talking about.  He said she was in the 'final stages'.  This area is rampant with prostitution and drug abuse, so it's hard to be clear about what the real health issue may be.  When I left that street I turn down the corner and before I got to the next stop sign I heard someone calling my name.  I stopped the car and looked around.  Finally, Kesha, came running up.  I hadn't seen her in over a year.  I had heard she had a broken leg (she told me someone broke it) and had been in a rehab and transition program down on 6th street.  She told me Sunday that she had been approved for an SRO housing place somewhere downtown. Although her spot wasn't going to be available for awhile, it was great news to hear and she was very excited about it.  When I prayed with her I praised God and thanked him for giving her this opportunity to get off the streets where it safer and perhaps, lead a more normal life.

I was able to help a few others before I got over to Trinity St and saw Leticia and Antonio.  It looked like they had lost most all of their stuff.  They were putting pieces of cardboard down on the side walk and I think they only had one blanket between them.  I gave them the last one I had with me.  I told them about the impending rain this week.  I don't know where they are going to go.  There is the freeway overpass just down the street.  Those spaces on the side walk under the freeway will become prime real estate in the next couple of weeks.  I prayed with them both and as I started towards the car and Antonio was already walking back to their spot I caught Leticia looking at me.  I gave her another hug.  I felt I hadn't helped them enough to get through this next week.  Please pray for these folks, its going to be a tough 5-7 days to endure.

Well, I hadn't made it down to the burn-out church the last couple of trips.  Nothing there has changed since my last trip down there.  I'll keep praying for renewal there.  Until next time---John